Agency Consulting Group review: agency valuation, M&A advice and fees
Agency Consulting Group (ACG) values independent agencies and helps owners pass them on to partners, producers or family. In a merger or sale it represents one agency, or acts as a go-between for both when both agree.
It works with small, mid-size and large agencies. Full valuations are quoted, while its do-it-yourself Agency Valuer software is $750 for the first year.
- Best for
- Owners planning an inside handoff who want a defensible fair market value
- Works for
- One agency in a deal, or both sides when both agree
- Services
- Valuation, perpetuation planning, mergers and deal facilitation
- Agency size
- Small, mid-size and large agencies
- Valuation fee
- Full valuation by quote. Agency Valuer software $750 the first year
Our take
ACG is a valuation and perpetuation shop, not a broker. It doesn't list agencies for sale or buy them, so it suits an owner planning an inside handoff more than one shopping the agency to many buyers.
Its valuations project every income and expense line and discount the future profit back to today. Owners who want a rough number first can run the same kind of projection themselves in Agency Valuer.
When a seller takes payments over time, its Liquidity Analysis Audit tracks whether the buyer can keep paying.
Pros
- Fair market valuations for perpetuation, buyouts, estate plans and sales
- Agency Valuer software at a published price
- Monthly checks on a buyer's ability to pay a seller over time
- Can act for both sides of an inside deal when both agree
- Its lead chaired the industry committee that wrote agency appraisal standards
Cons
- Doesn't market an agency to a wide field of buyers
- Full valuation and deal fees are quoted
- No recent deals listed on its site
- Refers owners who need cash to outside financial partners
Who they work for
Sellers
Owners for valuations and perpetuation. In a sale or merger ACG can negotiate for the selling agency.
Buyers
ACG can represent the buying agency instead, with a search for candidates, due diligence and a cash flow analysis.
One side or a go-between. ACG either represents one agency or, if both sides approve, mediates for both. In a mediated deal neither side has its own advocate, so decide which you want first.
Services
| Service | What you get |
|---|---|
| Fair market valuation | A bound report done remotely, an on-site valuation for complex cases or a yearly update |
| Perpetuation planning | Picks a way to pass the agency inside that is fair to both sides and light on taxes |
| Mergers and acquisitions | Candidate search, due diligence, a deal valuation, negotiation and a letter of intent for the lawyers |
| Merger management | Checks before the deal, then a plan to combine the two agencies |
| Liquidity Analysis Audit | A monthly test of whether a buyer can keep paying a seller |
| Expert witness and mediation | Testimony on agency value and help settling disputes |
Agencies they work with
- Agency size
- Small, mid-size and large agencies
- Types
- Independent agencies, agency buyers and inside successors
- Where
- United States
How they value an agency
- Method
- Present value of future earnings: profit projected line by line, then discounted for risk
- Standard of value
- Fair market value, the price a willing buyer and seller would agree on with neither under pressure, or going concern value
- What adjusts the value
- Growth trends, expense load, risk, a buyer's savings from combining and how many years of payments a buyer will accept
In a fair market valuation ACG holds the seller's revenue flat and lets it shrink only as clients leave. It takes out costs a buyer wouldn't carry, such as the selling owners' pay and duplicate expenses.
Terms on this page in plain words
- Fair market value
- The price a willing buyer and seller would agree on, with neither under pressure
- Perpetuation
- Passing ownership to partners, producers or family instead of selling to an outside buyer
- Success fee
- A fee paid to the advisor when the sale closes, often a share of the price
- Retainer
- A fee paid up front or monthly while the advisor works, whether or not a deal closes
Valuation reports, cost and timing
| Report or tool | Price |
|---|---|
| Fair market valuationBound report, remote or on site | Quote only |
| Agency Valuer softwareRun your own projection. First year of updates included | $750 one time |
| Agency Valuer updatesAfter the first year | $100 a year |
| Liquidity Analysis AuditACG clients | $100 a month, paid yearly |
| Liquidity Analysis AuditOther agencies | $150 a month |
A valuation starts with ACG's questionnaire and your documents, then follow-up calls.
Prices as of October 2026, from ACG's product pages.
Selling your agency with them
Valuation
ACG prices the deal with a transaction valuation and cash flow analysis.
Candidates
It searches for and screens agencies to merge with or sell to.
Due diligence
It checks the other agency's books before terms are set.
Negotiation
It negotiates for one side or helps both reach terms.
Letter of intent
It drafts the letter of intent that guides the lawyers, then helps carry out the deal.
Deal structure advice
ACG describes inside sales as stock transfers, where the buyer takes over the company itself and pays its tangible net worth (assets minus debts, leaving out goodwill) dollar for dollar. It says outside sales are usually asset purchases, where the buyer takes the book but not the company, and that the buyer can then write off the price over 15 years.
- Payout length
- Five, seven or ten years or more on inside deals. Three to five years from outside buyers
- Seller notes
- The seller can carry the note or get cash through ACG's financial partners
- Protecting payments
- The Liquidity Analysis Audit tracks the buyer's ability to keep paying
Succession and after the sale
Perpetuation is passing ownership to people inside the agency. ACG helps choose the route and sets a value both sides can accept.
Yearly revaluations
An update each year lets partners in a buy-in plan track value as shares change hands.
After a seller-financed sale
The Liquidity Analysis Audit keeps checking the buyer's balance sheet while payments are owed.
Credentials and transactions
- Standards
- Al Diamond chaired the AAIMCO committee that wrote standards for appraising agencies and brokerages
- Affiliations
- American Association of Insurance Management Consultants and American Arbitration Association
- Research
- A yearly study of agency revenue, expenses and productivity by size group
Fees and engagement terms
ACG doesn't publish its valuation or deal fees, or terms such as a retainer, expenses or exclusivity. It sends a quote for each job.
Questions for ACG before you hire it
- A flat fee or hourly for the valuation, and what a yearly update costs
- For deal work, any success fee and what it is based on
- Whether ACG is paid by the lenders it refers you to
- Which side it represents, or whether it is mediating
Agency Consulting Group alternatives
- IA ValuationsValuation from $2,500State association valuations with a cheaper renewal
- B. H. Burke & Co.Quote onlyPerpetuation is its biggest consulting focus
- OPTIS PartnersQuote onlyPerpetuation framework plus seller and buyer representation
- Agency Brokerage ConsultantsOffer review $7,500Markets an agency to many buyers at once
- Reagan ConsultingFees not publishedValuations and sale advice for larger brokerages
See every option in insurance agency valuation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an ACG valuation cost?
Full valuations are quoted. Agency Valuer software, for running your own projection, is $750 with a year of updates, then $100 a year.
Does ACG represent the buyer or the seller?
It represents one agency in a deal, buyer or seller. With both sides' approval it can mediate for both instead.
Will ACG sell my agency?
Not by listing it. ACG isn't a broker, but it can find and screen candidates and negotiate a merger or sale for you.
What is the Liquidity Analysis Audit?
A monthly test of a buyer agency's cash and balance sheet, so a seller paid over time can see whether payments are at risk. It costs $100 a month for ACG clients and $150 for others.
Can ACG help pass my agency to my producers?
Yes. Perpetuation planning is a core service, with payouts on inside deals often running five to ten years or more.
How we researched this review. We based this review on the pricing, terms and product pages published by Agency Consulting Group, reviewed in October 2026, together with our team's experience working with insurance agents and agency owners since 2008.
Corrections
Vendors change their pricing all the time and they don't email us when they do. So if you see a price on here that's gone up, a plan Agency Consulting Group quit selling or a contract term that reads different now, let us know and send the link to the page where Agency Consulting Group has it. Somebody here pulls up that page and checks it before we change anything on ours.